I love shade gardens. Love them! I lived in the Seattle areas for many years and the climate there is very friendly to shade gardens because of the dense trees and greenery around. There is shade everywhere! I came to really appreciate shade loving perennials when I lived there and definitely miss having a large…
Garden School
Seed Starting and Tracking
Seed starting can be fun and exciting. There’s the anticipation of all the yummy and beautiful plants you will soon have, plus you saved a bunch of money using seeds instead of buying actual plants. THEN…they get leggy, moldy, die off or don’t even germinate at all. It’s a lot! That’s why I track my…
Leggy Seedlings 101
Ah the joys of starting seedlings indoors! You plant those innocent seeds, anticipating a lush garden, and then reality hits: leggy seedlings. What gives?! You’ve given them all they need to survive and they reward you with an extra long stem that won’t hold up to any wind or rain when it lives outside. Rude!…
Starting Seeds Indoors
Right about this time of year, I get antsy and really miss gardening. It’s been a weirdly warm winter where I live (except for that week cold snap that rolled through) and it almost feels like spring. I’m still hesitant to start some seeds outside because our last frost date where I live isn’t until…
Weeds 101
As a gardener, weeds will become one of your daily battles. There are a handful of ways to combat them but they’ll always be somewhat of a problem. Why don’t we want weeds? The main reason we don’t want weeds is that they compete with our beloved plants for valuable space, water, and nutrients. Most…
Spider Mites 101
Just hearing about spider mites makes my skin crawl. If you have plants, chances are high you have probably dealt with spider mites at some point. I have a lemon tree that they love and out of all my houseplants, that is the one they like to stick to the most. What are Spider Mites…
How to Read a Moisture Meter
One of the basic necessities of having house plants, is having and learning to read a moisture meter. Sure, you can stick your finger in the soil but how accurate is that? Plus you’ll have to dig the dirt out from under your fingernails and my way is a lot easier. Most moisture meters can…
Finding You Local Extension Office
Anytime I had a gardening question for my brother-in-law (who has a full acre vegetable garden), he would tell me to call my extension office and ask them. I used to think that was strange. Why couldn’t he just give me the answer? Turns out, extension offices are a great resource for your county, sharing…
Bronzing 101
Bronzing is one of those plant things that used to freak me out. It’s basically when your outdoor plants begin to change colors to an orange/bronze instead of green. It’s usually because of weather conditions in that little plants microclimate that bring on this change. What Does Bronzing Look Like? This is a boxwood in…
Microclimates 101
A microclimate can affect your gardening in the same way that growing zones can. While growing zones are important to know, microclimates are what really make a difference in what you can grow in your garden and what you can’t. A microclimate is a localized climate condition within your growing zone that influences how plants…